Greece opposition leader calls for debt write-off

The leader of Greece's leftist opposition, Alexis Tsipras, is calling for an agreement to wipe out some of the government debt that Greece and other countries in Europe are struggling to repay.

Tsipras, considered a likely candidate to become the next prime minister, met with economists and members of the media on Friday at the Greek Mission to the United Nations in New York.

He said European leaders needed to put an end to the region's crisis by reaching an agreement to ease the debt burdens of Greece and other deeply indebted countries, instead of taking a piecemeal approach. He suggested that the agreement could include a moratorium on debt payments until countries pull out of recession.